Thy Heart In Flowers
by Sara Wolfe
Summary: Danny has a secret admirer...
1. Grace

**Author's Note:** I was inspired by **14 Valentines** to write a fic a day until Valentine's Day. Inspiration struck a little late last night, so you're going to get two fics, today.

* * *

The vase filled with bright pink roses showed up on his desk the morning after he won his custody hearing. Danny blinked at the flowers in confusion, certain he was seeing things. But, no, the flowers were still there, bright pink and spilling over the edges of the glass vase.

"Hey," he said, as he poked his head into Steve's office, "do you know who sent me a bunch of roses?"

No answer, and there was his second surprise of the day. Steven punctuality-is-my-middle-name McGarrett wasn't in his office. In fact, now that he took a moment to look around, he realized that headquarters was completely empty. Which meant that he wasn't like to get any answers from the rest of his team.

Inspecting the flowers didn't turn up any clues. There was no tell-tale card from a florist shop, meaning that either the card had been deliberately omitted, or the flowers had been hand-delivered. When he lifted the vase to the light, the glass sparkled without any incriminating fingerprints. He ran a quick kit, just to be sure, but it was clean.

No leads, no evidence, just flowers.

Danny finally sighed, pushing the vase to the corner of his desk and turning on his computer. He still had a mountain of paperwork from their last case, and the mystery of the roses was going to have to wait.

He'd been working for about half an hour when a knock on the doorframe disrupted his concentration. Glancing up, he saw Chin standing in his doorway, Kono not-so-politely pushing him to one side.

"Cute flowers," was her remark, and Danny sighed at the curious look in her eyes. His hopes for an answer to the mystery were dashed when she continued, "Who are they from?"

"No idea," Danny admitted. "The roses were here when I showed up. I was hoping one of you guys could tell me."

"Sorry, brah," Chin replied, with a shrug. "Maybe you've got a sweetheart." He was grinning when he said it, the corners of his eyes crinkled with suppressed laughter.

"What about you?" Danny asked Kono. "Any thoughts?"

"Those are Lokelani roses," she commented, taking a closer look. "My parents got me a bouquet when I graduated from the Academy. They're not grown in a lot of places," she went on. "Someone must have gone to a lot of trouble for you." Chuckling, she added in a sing-song voice, "Chin's right. Someone's got a crush on you."

"You've both been so helpful," Danny grumbled, and the cousins left him alone, their laughter drifting out of the room.

But, they had been. Because now he knew that someone hadn't just bought him flowers; they'd hunted down a specific, rare type of flower. And he had no idea who, or why.

"You know," a familiar voice drawled, "if you keep glaring at the vase like that, it's going to explode."

"Do you know anything about this?" Danny demanded, looking up at Steve as the other man came into his office and perched on the corner of his desk.

"Do I look like I know about flowers?" Steve returned. "Where'd they come from?"

"I don't know," Danny told him. "And it's been driving me nuts all morning."

"You know what the cure to that is, don't you?" Steve asked. "Paperwork."

"I'm almost finished-" Danny started, but then he caught the hopeful glint in his partner's eyes. "Oh, no. I am not doing your paperwork for you. Forget it."

"Spoilsport," Steve moped. "So, have you seen Grace since the hearing?"

"She's coming home with me, tonight," Danny told him, unable to hide the delighted grin stretching across his face. "And she was so happy that she cried when I told her the judge's decision. Apparently, she and Rachel haven't been talking for the last week, ever since Rachel and Stan told her about Vegas."

"Have you talked to Rachel?" was Steve's next question, but Danny shook his head.

"Only through our lawyers," he remarked. "I think it's going to be a while before we – yes?" He trailed off when Kono poked her head through the doorway.

"I was thinking about your flowers," she started, "and I did some research-"

"Doesn't anyone besides me do their paperwork?" Danny complained, not really expecting an answer.

"And I found a bunch of websites dedicated to the secret language of flowers," Kono went on, ignoring him.

"Flowers have languages, now?" Steve asked.

"Yeah," Kono enthused. "Apparently, certain flowers mean certain things, like white roses mean innocence, or red roses mean passion-" She shot him a knowing smirk.

"What about pink?" Danny asked, interrupting her.

"Pink roses," Kono told him, "mean grace."


	2. Friendship

**Author's Note: **Sorry this is a day late. Hope you enjoy.

* * *

Yellow roses were next.

Or rather, rose petals. When he entered his office the next morning, he was greeted by yellow petals scattered across the surface of his desk. More petals littered the seat of his chair, and still more hidden in various places around his office.

He actually spent about fifteen minutes hunting out all of the rose petals in the room and piling them in the middle of his desk. When he was finished, he had a pile of flower petals large enough to bury his coffee cup. Then, he went to hunt down Steve.

"The Flower Bandit strikes again," he said, getting a fleeting glance from Steve.

"Is that what we're calling it, now?" Steve asked, and Danny jerked his shoulder in a quick shrug, dropping into the chair across from Steve.

"It's as good a name as any," he replied. "Did you see anyone around the building, this morning?" he asked, a moment later, sighing when Steve shook his head. "This is a disgrace. Whole building full of cops-"

"Did you dust for fingerprints?" Steve interrupted him.

"There are over a hundred rose petals on my desk," Danny informed him. "I don't have the time to dust every single one for fingerprints."

"Guess it's just going to have to remain a mystery, then," Steve remarked. "Any idea who it is?"

"A month ago, I would have said Gabby," Danny replied. "But, that's over-" He fought to keep the bitter tone out of his voice, but from the sympathetic look on Steve's face, he wasn't as successful as he could have hoped. "Honestly," he finished, "I have no idea. Chin and Kono think I've got a secret admirer. Like I'm being wooed or something."

"Maybe you are," Steve suggested, and Danny snorted out a laugh.

"Yeah, right," he muttered, dismissing the possibility out of hand. "With the way my love life runs, someone's probably just screwing with my head."

"What did Cupid ever do to you?" Steve asked, incredulously.

"Ugly divorce, and a screaming break-up with my first serious girlfriend since said divorce," Danny answered. "I think it's pretty safe to say that Cupid has it in for me."

"I think you're paranoid," Steve told him. "So, what kind of flowers were they, this time?"

"Yellow roses," Danny said. "Who sends yellow roses? What do they even mean?"

"Friendship." Kono's voice came floating out from behind him, and Danny swore that he levitated about a foot into the air.

"How does she do that?" he hissed, twisting around in his chair to see the younger woman standing clear on the other side of the outer room. "She's a freaking ninja."

Steve chuckled, and Danny shot him an irritated look. "Friendship, huh?" Steve commented, idly. "Maybe you are being wooed."

"Starting awfully slow, aren't they?" Danny remarked, but Steve shrugged, turning his attention back to his paperwork.

"Maybe they think you're worth it," he said, casually, and all Danny could do was blink at him in surprise.


	3. Devotion

**Author's Note: **This one's a little bit short, but I'm hoping to make up for it with the next one.

* * *

It couldn't be Steve. Could it?

Every time the thought crossed his mind, Danny told himself that he was insane. Steve wasn't leaving him flowers. Steve wasn't _wooing_ him. There was no possible way.

Except that there was that infuriatingly cryptic comment that Steve had made. What the heck did he mean, Danny was worth it? Oh, he knew what the individual words meant, knew the meaning behind them, but he had absolutely no idea what _Steve_ meant by it.

He and Steve weren't – their relationship wasn't – they were friends, and partners, and that was all it was ever going to be. Danny couldn't afford to hope for more, not with everything standing in their way. Their jobs, his continuing issues with Rachel, Steve's thing with Catherine-

Not to mention that Steve was completely, undeniably straight. Wasn't he?

* * *

Nearly a week passed before the next surprise, and Danny had almost given up on his semi-secret admirer. He'd almost had himself convinced that he'd been completely wrong about the whole flower thing, and then the lavender sprigs showed up on his desk.

He picked up the bundle, and a small card fell onto his desk. Picking it up, he read the message typed on the small piece of paper.

_'You're worth everything, and I'll do whatever it takes to prove it to you.'_

Danny didn't know how long he sat there staring at the card, but he was pulled out of his whirling thoughts by the sound of a knock on his doorframe. He jerked in surprise, curling his hand around the card to hide it from view. He stared up at Steve, momentarily speechless.

"We caught a case," Steve told him, and Danny nodded, pulling his gun out of the top desk drawer, and dropping the card in at the same time. He wasn't ready for anyone, even Steve, to see that card, yet. "More flowers?" Steve went on. "Secret admirer strikes again, huh?"

"Yeah," Danny answered, looking carefully at Steve. "You didn't happen to see anything, did you?"

Steve looked genuinely baffled as he shook his head. "Nothing, sorry. What kind of flower is it?"

"It's lavender," Danny told him. "Rachel had some in her wedding bouquet. It symbolizes devotion."

Steve shot him an inscrutable look. "Sounds like someone is trying to tell you something," was all he said. "Come on, partner. Let's go catch bad guys."


	4. Apology

**Author's Note: **I fixed a small error in the last chapter, as to the flower I featured. And I know this one is a day late, but I'm going to get this thing caught up, I promise.

* * *

"Steve, I think this is a really bad idea."

Steve shot his partner a quick, reassuring smile. "You worry too much, Danno," he replied. "Cover me."

With that, he burst out of their hiding place and ran toward the shooter. He was so focused on the man in front of them with the gun, that he didn't see the threat behind them. Didn't hear Danny's shouted warning. Didn't hear the crack of the gunshot fired toward his back.

He took out the first shooter, getting the young man down on the ground and cuffed within a minute of leaving his original position. It turned out to be a minute too long. When he turned back, triumphant, all he saw was the pale, unmoving form lying face-down on the sidewalk, footsteps rapidly fading into the distance as the second shooter bolted from the scene.

"Danny!"

Sprinting to his partner's side, he gently rolled the other man over onto his back. Danny was unconscious, a knot rapidly forming on his temple where he must have struck his head on the sidewalk, but Steve didn't see any blood. The bullet had been caught by Danny's vest; he was going to be okay. But that didn't stop Steve's hands from shaking as he called for an ambulance, waiting anxiously for the other man to regain consciousness.

* * *

Chin found Steve standing in the middle of the hospital gift shop, staring at the flower display and feeling utterly lost.

"I have no idea what I'm doing," he confessed, and Chin nodded, sympathetically, clapping him on the shoulder.

"Flowers are always a good bet," he suggested, and Steve shot him a sideways look, wondering just how much he knew – or at least suspected.

"I don't think they make an arrangement that says I'm sorry I got you shot," he finally answered.

"Maybe not," Chin agreed. "But you can."

Steve sighed, his shoulders slumping. "I really screwed up, didn't I?"

"I think you'll be hearing about this one for a long time," Chin told him. "And if Danny lets you forget, Kono and I will remind you." He gave Steve an inscrutable look, but Steve wasn't about to argue with him.

He'd gotten his partner shot. Danny had taken a bullet meant for him. Steve knew he was obsessing, but his mind just kept circling around that one, single point. Danny was lying in a hospital bed because of him. Steve had rushed ahead like always, relying on a half-formed plan to get him through, and Danny had paid the price for his impatience.

Forget flowers. He was going to be lucky if Danny ever spoke to him, again.

"Stop beating yourself up." Chin's voice broke into his thoughts, startling him. "That's our job. Have you been up to see Danny, yet?"

Steve shook his head. "He was still unconscious when the ambulance brought him in, and I got kicked out of the room when the doctor was patching him up. I may have been a little-" He trailed off, but Chin probably had no problem interpreting his unspoken words.

"Danny's got a concussion," Chin told him, after a moment, "and two cracked ribs from getting shot. The doctor said that the vest saved his life, but the shot was close enough to do some damage. So, he'll be out of commission for a while."

Personally, Steve didn't care how long Danny was out of commission, so long as he was going to be all right. Because if Danny wasn't – he veered rapidly away from that train of thought. he didn't want to imagine what could have happened if Danny hadn't been wearing his vest, if the shooter had aimed just a little higher or lower. Didn't want to imagine a world where his failure cost Danny his life.

"That's good," he said, quietly, and if Chin noticed that his voice was a little hoarse, he didn't say anything.

"Tulips," he said, instead, and Steve blinked at him in surprise. "Whenever I screwed up with Malia, I would bring her a bouquet of tulips. They were her favorite."

He walked away, leaving Steve alone in the middle of the gift shop. After a few seconds, Steve opened the refrigerated case in front of him and selected a bound bouquet from the display. He paid, and the cashier gave him a slender vase to put the flowers in, and then Steve slowly made his way up to Danny's room.

Danny was asleep when Steve entered. The room was empty, meaning that Chin had probably dragged Kono off to give him time alone with Danny, and Steve sat down in the visitor's chair that had been pulled up beside the bed. He put the tulips on the table and settled down to wait for his partner to wake up.

He had a lot of apologizing to do…


	5. Celebration

**Author's Note: **I know I'm still behind. I'm working on it, I swear.

* * *

"Danno, Danno!"

Danny looked up at Grace's excited yell, watching as she sprinted across the yard in front of Rachel and Stan's house. She was carrying a bright pink bundle in her hands, and when she slid to a stop in front of Danny, he could see that it was a lei.

"Look what I made!" Grace squealed, happily. "I made this one just for you, Danno. For Valentine's Day, next week."

"Thanks, Monkey," Danny said, crouching down as Grace slipped the lei around his neck. "It's beautiful. I love it."

"Uncle Steve taught me," Grace told him, beaming with pride. "Remember, last week?"

"I wondered what you two were up to when I was at the school with your mom and Step-Stan," Danny commented.

"Well, you told Uncle Steve no hand grenades," Grace reminded him, "and you've been getting all those flowers at work, so I thought you might like some from me, too. And Uncle Steve even helped me pick out the flowers. They're called Bougainvillea."

"I love 'em," Danny told her, while Grace smiled, happily. "I'm never going to take it off."

* * *

As it turned out, forever turned out to be about two hours. Half an hour after he'd first put on Grace's lei, Danny's neck started itching. Within an hour, the itching sensation had spread down the back of his neck and along his spine. Another hour, and his skin was on fire. He'd barely managed to park the car on the side of the road and call Steve to come get him and Grace. He didn't trust himself to drive, even as far as the hospital, when he could barely keep himself from gouging bloody paths in his own skin.

He was sitting on an exam bed in the emergency room, wearing little more than an overly-revealing gown, with his hands clenched into fists to keep from scratching at his back. Steve was sitting in the lone visitor's chair, Grace curled up in his lap. His lei was bunched up in her hands, as she twisted the small flowers, anxiously.

"Are you okay, Danno?" she asked, in a small voice.

"I'm fine," Danny lied, while invisible fire ants crawled all over his neck, back, and torso. "Just fine. Where's that nurse?"

"I'm right here," a female voice said, before Steve could answer. "Well, Detective. Williams, how are you feeling? What would you rate your pain, on a scale from one to ten?"

"Eleven," Danny gritted out, and then he wondered if he was being too conservative. "I thought you said that you were going to get me something for this itching."

"The doctor will order you something as soon as he sees you," the nurse promised, in what was probably supposed to be a reassuring tone. "In the meantime, let's get the basic exam out of the way, shall we?"

Fifteen minutes later, the nurse walked back out to deliver her results to the doctor, and Danny was still itching. He didn't even realize that he was unconsciously reaching to scratch at his back until Steve caught his hand, stopping him.

"You're just going to make it worse," Steve told him, and Danny sighed.

"That doesn't really help," he informed his partner.

"Every time you're in pain," Steve responded, "just squeeze my hand."

"I think I remember telling Rachel the same thing when she was in labor," Danny joked, weakly, but he didn't let go of Steve's hand.

When the doctor finally came in, Danny was ready to jump out of his skin. He reluctantly released Steve as Doctor Kekoa began his own examination.

"So, it looks like the majority of the rash is confined to an area on the back of your neck," Kekoa remarked. "You said this showed up a couple hours ago?"

"Yeah," Danny answered. "A little bit after Grace gave me that lei-" He trailed off as realization struck, looking suspiciously at the flowers in Grace's hands. "I've worn leis before," he felt compelled to point out.

"Yes, but you might not have encountered this particular flower before," Kekoa told him. "Sounds like you're having a severe allergic reaction. It's common enough with these flowers, kind of like poison ivy. All it takes is getting scratched by a thorn."

Danny shook his head, ruefully. "Maybe I'd have been better off with the hand grenade," he remarked.

Kekoa prescribed an antihistamine for the itching, and a corticosteroid for the inflammation, and Danny couldn't wait to get the scripts filled. He was desperate to stop itching. A few more minutes, and then Danny was allowed to get dressed, again. He picked up his prescriptions at the hospital pharmacy, taking the first dose right there, and then he, Steve, and Grace headed out to the car. Danny opened the back door for Grace, only to find her staring morosely at the asphalt, only looking up when he put a hand on her shoulder.

"What's wrong, Monkey?" he asked, worriedly, and Grace turned tear-filled eyes on him.

"Did I make you sick, Danno?" she asked, softly, and Danny immediately reached out and pulled his daughter into a hug.

"This is not your fault," he told her, firmly. "And I still love that lei. Even if I can't wear it."

Grace flashed him a bright smile, clambering into the back of the car. Danny sank gratefully into the passenger seat, closing his eyes and willing the antihistamine to start working its magic. He listened to the engine purr to life, and then they pulled out of the parking lot.

A short while later, too short to have reached Danny's apartment, they were pulling to a stop. Danny opened his eyes to see that they were in front of Steve's house. He gave his partner a wordless look, getting an innocent, boyish smile in return.

"You coming in, Danno?" he asked, as he handed the keys to Grace so that she could race ahead into the house. "What?"

"I'm trying to decide if it's worth the effort to argue with you," Danny told him. "I do have an apartment, you know."

"Yeah," Steve agreed. "But, do you really want to be home alone, miserable and itching, all night? Or, you could stay here, where I was planning on cooking dinner and watching a game I recorded a few days ago."

"Sounds good," Danny admitted. As he followed Steve up the path to his front door, he added, "So, apparently I have you to blame for my allergy? Grace says that you told her what flowers to use."

"She was talking about Valentine's Day," Steve told him, "and about how she wanted to do something special for you. I told her that the flowers meant celebration. Apparently now we're going to be celebrating your overzealous immune system."

"How'd you know what the flowers meant?" Danny asked. "I thought you didn't know about flowers."

Steve froze, a comical expression coming over his face. "I – um – I looked it up. I can Google, you know."

"This from the man who makes me do all his paperwork," Danny grumbled.

"I'm hungry," Steve said, rapidly. "You hungry? I'm gonna start dinner."

Steve ducked inside, avoiding Danny's eyes, and Danny chuckled. He followed Steve into the house, shutting the door gently behind him, and headed for the kitchen to help Steve start dinner.


	6. Healing

**Author's Note:** In trying to catch up, I've only gotten further behind. So, this series might extend a bit beyond the holiday, but that's hardly a bad thing, right?

* * *

It took two days for the itching to completely stop. So, Danny was understandably a little nervous when he walked into work to see flowers on his desk.

He moved slowly and cautiously, eying the yellow blossoms like he was approaching a particularly-volatile explosive. Picking up a pen, he gently nudged the flowers a little bit. When they didn't blow up in his face, he dropped the pen and poked at the flowers with his finger. No hives immediately raced up his hand to overtake his entire arm.

"Whatcha doing?"

Danny bit back a startled yelp at the sound of Kono's voice. Turning around, he saw the younger woman leaning against his doorframe, a curious expression on her face.

"Hey, more flowers!" Kono exclaimed, cheerfully.

"Yeah," Danny agreed. "I wonder how this one is going to bite me in the butt."

"Boy, one bad experience, and you're scared off flowers for life," Kono teased him.

"I suffered a massive allergic reaction," Danny reminded her.

"Oh, come on," Kono chided. "What are the odds of that happening twice?"

"With my luck?" Danny grumbled, good-naturedly. But, he picked up the strung flowers, carefully. "How do these keep getting here, anyway?" he asked. "We're in a secure building. How does someone manage to sneak in and drop flowers on my desk without being seen?"

He glanced over at Kono, frowning when she averted her eyes, looking pointedly at anywhere but at him.

"Okay, what do you know?" he asked. Kono pasted an innocent look on her face, and Danny sighed. "Oh, don't even try it," he scolded. "If that look doesn't work for Steve, it's not going to – oh, you're kidding me. _Steve_?"

"Why is that so hard to believe?" Kono asked. "He's been flirting with you for years – wait a minute," she added, looking suspiciously at him, "you do believe that Steve's been flirting with you, right?"

Danny wondered exactly what was written on his face that she'd ask that question. Not that he was eager to answer; it was one thing to admit to his insecurities in the privacy of his own mind, it was completely another to air them in public. Even to Kono, who was one of the few people he unreservedly trusted with his life.

"I-" he started, but then he trailed off, having absolutely no idea how he planned on finishing that sentence.

"Steve's crazy for you," Kono informed him, matter-of-factly. "Sometimes, he gets this look in his eyes – you know how he looks when he's talking bombs and hand grenades? Like that, only sappier."

"So, you're saying I outrank dangerous live ordinance?" Danny quipped, weakly. Then, sobering, he sighed. "No, this is nuts. Steve's got that thing with Catherine-"

"Which has been over for a while," Kono replied.

"Steve's not-" Danny protested, but Kono cut him off.

"Take it from someone with eyes," she said. "Steve _is_. Completely and absolutely gone on you."

"I-" Danny shook his head, bewildered. "I'm not entirely sure what I'm supposed to do here."

"Don't do anything," Kono suggested, with a shrug. "Steve's having fun giving you flowers. I say let him."

"What?" Danny asked, sure he'd heard her wrong.

Kono fixed him with an incredibly patient look. "Steve is courting you," she explained. "He's being romantic, especially for him. I think you should enjoy it."

"I'm not sure I know how," Danny admitted, softly.

Danny could count his relationships on one hand. And, after a messy divorce that kept coming back to bite him, not to mention his less-than-graceful split with Gabby, he wasn't entirely sure how to react to the idea of someone setting out to romance him.

But he thought about that card, tucked carefully into his wallet. Worth everything, Steve had written. No one had ever told him that. Not until now, until Steve.

"You and Steve really are perfect for each other," Kono commented. "He's just as messed up as you are." She was smiling, and Danny really couldn't take offense. He _was_ kind of screwed up. "Steve's just as nervous as you are," the young woman went on, knowingly. "He's scared to death you'll say no."

"Why would I say no?" When Kono chuckled, Danny realized that he'd said that out loud.

"Steve wants to do this right," Kono told him. "He wants this to work."

"So do I," Danny replied.

"Good," Kono said, happily. "So, let Steve be all mushy, and romantic, and mysterious, and then you both get to reap the benefits. And if the two of you could see fit to getting together by Valentine's Day, then Chin's gonna owe me fifty bucks."

Danny shook his head in disbelief. "You two are betting on us?" he asked, incredulously.

"Well," Kono shrugged, "it's either that, or we were going to lock you both in a closet until you snapped and finally jumped each other's bones. Your choice." She shot him a sunny grin as she darted out of his office.

Danny watched her go, and then turned his attention back to the small, yellow flowers he was still holding. Steve wanted to be romantic, and he'd decided that flowers were the way to go. Every flower he'd left so far meant something, and Danny was willing to bet that these were the same.

A few minutes with Google identified the blossoms as ilima flowers. Used for healing, apparently, and it was probably Steve's attempt at subtly looking out for him. Also used in making leis, and Danny had to wonder if Steve had bought this one, or if he'd made it, himself.

After a moment, Danny draped the open lei over the back of his neck before getting to work. A few minutes later, he looked up at a knock on the doorframe to see Steve watching him.

"New flowers?" Steve asked, nonchalantly, but now that Danny was looking for it, he could see a hint of a smile playing at Steve's lips.

"New flowers," Danny confirmed.

"You see who left 'em?" Steve asked, an innocently-curious tone in his voice.

Danny shook his head. "It's a mystery," he replied.

"You're not curious who it is?" Steve asked.

"Sure I am," Danny told him. "But, the way I see it, not knowing is half the fun."


	7. Dreaming of Love

**Author's Note:** I know it's not finished, yet, but I wanted to get the latest chapter posted on Valentine's Day. I figured it was only appropriate, seeing as how this is supposed to be a Valentine's Day challenge...

* * *

Steve was kind of terrible at the whole romance thing.

Everyone had told him, from his first girlfriend in high school ("You bought me an _umbrella_?" "You hate getting wet." "I said that because I wanted to snuggle with you under _your_ umbrella, you idiot!"), to his first serious relationship after he'd graduated from the Naval Academy ("How can I marry you, when you're already married to the SEALs?"), to Catherine, their first go-round ("No, really, Steve, it's you. I'm sorry.").

And Steve wasn't debating that; he knew he had his issues with romance, and relationships, and not screwing things up. Somewhere along the way, he'd decided to keep things strictly friendly. Even his on again-off again with Cath had never really progressed any further than casual intimacy. He wasn't willing to let it go any further.

So, it came as no small surprise when he realized that he'd fallen head-over-heels for his partner.

It was one of those things that snuck up on him, gradually. He couldn't pinpoint when it first started, but he remembered coming into work one morning and seeing Danny talk to Kono. The other man had been laughing, a bright smile that lit up his whole face, and Steve had been completely gone.

And it had only gotten worse from there. Slowly but surely, he'd fallen more and more in love with Danny. Everything, from the way he gestured when he talked, to his insatiable malasada habit, even the way he ranted at Steve when he did something stupid. Steve couldn't remember feeling like this about anyone, before.

Which was why he was standing in the middle of the local nursery, staring down the selection of flowers in front of him.

"Sir, can I help you – oh, Commander McGarrett, you're back again?"

"Yeah," Steve confirmed, as he looked over at the smiling saleswoman. "Um, Lynda, I'm a little lost."

"Considering how long you've been coming here," Lynda teased him, "You'd think that you'd have learned something about flowers by now."

"I did," Steve told her. "I learned that I know nothing about flowers, and that I should consult an expert. That's where you come in." He gave her a winning smile.

Lynda sighed, an amused look in her eye. Turning her attention to the flowers in front of him, she studied the selection for several moments. Then, she pulled a few long-stemmed white flowers from a bucket, winding a ribbon around the stems to keep them together.

"Moonflower," she explained, as she loosely wrapped a wet paper towel around the blossoms to keep them hydrated. "We only have a few of these, because we don't often get to cut them off the vine."

"Is that your way of telling me that this is going to be costly?" Steve quipped, pulling out his wallet.

"Nah," Lynda replied. "You're a good customer; you get our friends and family discount."

"So, what do moonflowers mean?" Steve asked, as he took the flowers from her.

"Dreaming of love," Lynda told him, smiling. "I thought that it seemed particularly appropriate, given the way you get all dewy-eyed whenever you talk about the person you've been giving these flowers to. I hope he or she knows how lucky they are to have you."

"I'm lucky to have him," Steve replied, quietly. "Believe me. I'm the lucky one."


	8. Unconditional Love

**Author's Note:** I am so sorry that this took so long to post. Next chapter will be up, sooner, I promise.

* * *

Steve walked into his office, and then stopped at the sight of the white flower sitting in the middle of his desk. Poking his head back out of the doorway, he waved Kono over.

"What is that?"

Kono glanced at his desk. "Looks like a flower, Boss."

"What's it doing on my desk?" Steve asked, and Kono shrugged.

"Being pretty?" she suggested. When Steve shot her a disbelieving look, she just smiled. Steve rolled his eyes. "Hey," Kono retorted, "if you don't want it, I'll take it. I'm not going to say no to flowers."

"Why is there a flower on my desk?" Steve asked, plaintively.

"Looks like Danny's not the only one with a secret admirer," Kono commented, and then she walked away, whistling something under her breath.

Steve watched her go, and then he glanced over at Danny, who was working on something with Chin over by the smart table. The other man glanced up like he could sense Steve staring at him, and he flashed him a quick grin.

_'Danny doesn't know, does he?'_ Steve thought, as he watched his partner work. _'I've been careful; no one's seen me. He can't possibly know.'_

Except that didn't explain the flower currently sitting on his desk.

What did explain it was Danny finding out the truth. Which should have led to Danny confronting him about the entire thing, demanding an explanation for all the flowers over the last few weeks. Instead, Danny chose to respond by … leaving him flowers. Steve was willing to admit that he was more than a little baffled.

He didn't have time to be confused, though, because they got a call about a case. A custodial kidnapping that came to a close nine long hours later at the zoo, of all places. John Marcos had snatched his kids away from his ex-wife, and hopped on a plane from New York to Honolulu, telling them that they were going on vacation. They turned Marcos over HPD, and witnessed a very happy reunion between Carla DeWitt and her children.

"Remind me to give Grace a huge hug, tonight," Danny commented, as they drove back to headquarters.

"Ditto," Steve echoed.

Danny glanced over at him. "It's my night with Grace," he told Steve. "You want to come over for dinner and a movie?"

"You just want me to cook," Steve teased him.

"You got me," Danny confessed, cheerfully. "I am not ashamed to admit that Grace likes your cooking, better."

"Yeah, I'll come over," Steve told him, getting a winning smile in return. "Hey," he added, a few moments later, "you didn't happen to see anyone lurking around my office, this morning, did you?"

Danny might have been a fantastic detective, but he was a lousy liar, at least when it came to lying to Steve. An innocent look, one that Steve didn't believe for even a second, fell over his face, and he avoided Steve's eyes. Steve wondered if he was that transparent when he was trying to lie to Danny.

"Didn't see anyone," Danny said, quickly, and then he changed the topic to something else.

_'Gotcha,'_ Steve thought, triumphantly, hiding a smirk.

Back at the office, he kept glancing at the flower as he worked on his report. Finally, curiosity overwhelmed him, and he just had to find out what the flower was. Google failed him until he took a picture with his phone and used the image to search.

Hawaiian Jasmine. It symbolized unconditional love.

Steve blinked at the page, stunned, for a couple of seconds. Was this Danny's way of answering all the flowers he'd gotten so far?

A knock on the door jolted him out of his thoughts. "You ready to go?" Danny asked, leaning against the door frame.

"Yeah," Steve said, quickly shutting down the browser. "Yeah, I'm ready."


	9. Dignity (Has Just Flown Out the Window)

**Author's Note:** Folks, I think that, after this one, there's only going to be one more part to this series. I hate not having all fourteen chapters, but inspiration has been running dry, and that's why it took so long to get the most recent chapters out. I'm sorry for everyone expecting fourteen parts, but I don't want to force out the words and have badly-written stories. But, everything is going to end in the next part, and it'll end in a good way. I promise.

* * *

The war was on.

Kono didn't think there could be anything more _adorable_, for lack of a better word, than Danny trying to figure out who was sending him all the flowers. She was wrong. The absolute picture of utterly, freaking adorable was Steve and Danny trying to outdo each other with flowers – without letting the other man know what was going on. Steve obviously knew that Danny had found him out, and Danny had to know that Steve knew. It was the only explanation for how much fun they were having.

After the case where Danny tackled a suspect into a mud puddle, a dahlia showed up in the middle of the smart table. Dignity, the card read, and Danny rolled his eyes as he carried the slim vase into his office, trailing muddy water behind him the whole way. Daisies for innocence, after Steve got hit on by every prostitute in a five-mile radius while chasing down a drug dealer one night. A green carnation that Danny tucked into a buttonhole and wore for three hours before Chin pointed out that he was wearing a flower to a crime scene.

After Steve slogged through two miles of sewer, and came back smelling like, well, like he'd slogged through two miles of sewer, Danny filled Steve's office with gardenias, freesia, and roses, the fragrance strong enough to obliterate even the smell coming off Steve. No symbolism, you just stink, the note read, and Steve cracked his first smile since learning exactly where their suspect had escaped to.

Kono was watching the two of them in their offices, wondering what the next flower was going to be. She glanced over when Chin came up beside her.

"Who's winning?" he asked, in an undertone.

"It's a tie," Kono told him. "And I haven't seen or smelled a single flower all morning." Stopping to consider what she'd just said, she added, "Do you think it's bad that we have nothing better to do than speculate on our coworkers' love lives?"

"Half the island thinks they're married," Chin pointed out, "and the other half is wondering when they're going to tie the knot. I hardly think we're alone in this."

"True," Kono said, with a chuckle. "So, what do you think is next?"

Chin nodded at Steve and Danny as they both rose from their desks, simultaneously, each of them clearly trying to conceal something in their hands.

"I have no idea," he remarked. "But I think we're about to find out."


	10. True Love

**Author's Note:** Well, here we have it, the last chapter to _Thy Heart in Flowers_. I am so sorry that this took so long, but it's longer than the others as a result. For some reason, this chapter was harder to write than I thought it would be. For in-story purposes (and so certain bets can pay out), this chapter is taking place on Valentine's Day.

* * *

Danny stared down at the red rose lying innocently on his desk.

Who would have thought that such a small thing could have disrupted his day so much? He had paperwork to finish, a cold case from his HPD days that he'd finally closed in his spare time with Kono's help. He was busy, but he just kept staring at that damned flower and everything it represented.

_'This is what you do to me, Steve,'_ he thought, dragging a hand through his hair in frustration. _'I can't think around you, can't focus-'_

Huffing a sigh, he grabbed his phone and hit a number in speed dial, listening to it ring. "What if I'm wrong?" he blurted out, when his mother picked up the phone.

"Hello to you, too, Danny." The love and affection in Deborah Williams' voice was easy to hear, even several thousand miles away. "Don't tell me you're having second thoughts?"

"Not exactly," Danny hedged.

"Daniel, sweetheart," Deborah chided him, gently, "don't lie to your mother. Now, what's going on? I thought that you and Steve were really getting somewhere."

"We've been giving each other flowers, without ever talking about what's happening," Danny told her. "What if we can't talk about it? Or, what if we do, and things go badly? Or, what if-"

"Daniel, you're rambling." Deborah cut him off, and Danny fell silent, instantly. "Did I ever tell you how my first date with your father went?" she went on.

"The way Dad always tells it," Danny replied, "he was suave, and romantic, and he swept you off your feet."

"He _would_ remember it that way," Deborah muttered, affectionately. "Your father and his revisionist history. No, on our first date, your father took me to a fancy Italian restaurant, and then he proceeded to spill water all over his suit, marinara sauce all over my favorite dress, and a bottle of wine over a couple who were celebrating their fiftieth anniversary. Suave is not the first word I would use to describe your father on that date."

Danny laughed. "With a first date like that, how'd there ever wind up being a second?"

"Because for all of Mike's clumsiness," Deborah told him, "there was a certain charm about him."

"Steve's got the same kind of charm," Danny replied. "Except when he's leaving hand grenades in my glove box," he muttered, and from the chuckle, his mother had heard him.

"Remind me to have a talk with him," was all she said, and Danny felt sorry for Steve, going up against his mother. Steve didn't stand a chance.

"So, you're saying that I should just tell Steve how I feel about him?" Danny asked.

"Not in so many words," Deborah answered, "but, yes. Tell that man you're in love with him. And make it soon, because your sisters are betting on how long it's going to be before you two get together."

"Why is everyone betting on us?" Danny asked, exasperated.

"Your father owes me ten bucks if you and Steve kiss by Valentines' Day," Deborah said, an innocent tone in her voice.

"Not you, too," Danny groaned, shaking his head. "Don't any of you have anything better to do?"

"No," his mother told him, and it startled a laugh out of him. "I love you, sweetheart," Deborah went on. "Take a chance on Steve. I think you'll be happy you did."

"Thanks, Mom," Danny said, and then he hung up the phone. "Here goes nothing," he muttered, as he grabbed the rose off his desk and headed for the door.

* * *

Steve stared down at the red rose lying innocently on his desk.

Never before had such a small thing seemed so overwhelmingly important. It was one thing, to give Danny flowers from the safe distance anonymity provided him, and even after Danny knew. Because they hadn't actually said the words. Everything was still just gestures and symbols, and he could pretend that he wasn't putting his heart out on the line for the whole world to see.

But, this – there were no second chances with what he was about to tell Danny. No way to back out, or pretend like he hadn't meant it that way. This was the all or nothing.

And he was fairly certain he'd never been more scared.

Oh, he'd said the words before. But they'd never been quite so _monumental_ before. He had a lot riding on Danny's response to three little words, and he wasn't quite sure what to do if the answer was no.

He startled when his phone rang, abruptly jerking him out of his thoughts, and he snatched it up without checking the display.

"You're not chickening out, are you?" Cath didn't even wait for him to say hello before she started in on him. "Steven J. McGarrett, I swear-"

"I'm not chickening out," Steve lied, and Cath's disbelieving snort greeted his words.

"Do I need to drag out the Halloween pictures, again?" she asked. "Because, I will, Steve, and I'll show them to Danny if I have to."

"That's – that's _really_ not necessary," Steve stammered, quickly, and he could just imagine the devilish grin on Cath's face.

Halloween, when Danny and Grace had come over to trick or treat, and wound up staying for _The Notebook_. When it had been completely natural to drop an arm around Danny's shoulders, for Danny to put his head on Steve's shoulder. When they'd fallen asleep cuddling, and Cath had snapped several blackmail pictures before Steve had woken up to find Danny sleeping on his chest.

"But, you and Danny are so cute," Cath cooed, a sappy tone in her voice.

"No pictures," Steve said, firmly.

"Ask Danny out to dinner and I won't have to bring out the pictures," Cath retorted. "I'm hanging up now, Steve, and I expect you to go talk to Danny."

"And if I don't?" Steve didn't mean it, but he was curious as to what Cath was planning.

"I have spies in your organization," Cath told him, ominously, and Steve glanced out to where Chin and Kono were standing near the smart table, trying and failing to look like they weren't staring at his and Danny's offices.

"I'm onto your spies," Steve replied, and Cath chuckled for a moment before the phone went dead in his ear. Typical Cath, she hadn't even bothered to say goodbye.

Steve pocketed his phone, looking again at the rose. Then, he screwed up his courage, grabbed the flower, and headed for his door. He stepped out into the main room just as Danny walked out of his own office, and he blinked in surprise to see a red rose held in the other man's hands. A slow smile spread over his face.

"I guess worrying over what you'd say was kind of stupid," Steve admitted, sheepishly.

"Yes," Danny said, nodding. "Yes, it was. Want to go out to dinner, tonight?"

Steve chuckled, relaxing even more as tension he hadn't even been aware of drained out of him. "Isn't that my line?" he quipped.

"Too late," Danny deadpanned. "I beat you to it. Well?"

"Yes," Steve told him, and then he rolled his eyes when Kono let out a quiet cheer that he was clearly not meant to hear. Turning to the younger woman, he asked, "Don't you have work?"

"Nope," Kono replied, an impish smile on her face. "Cleared my desk."

"Me, too," Chin added, before Steve could say anything to him.

Steve turned away from the pair with an exasperated sigh, but not before he saw Chin slipping Kono a folded bill. "What's that about?" he asked Danny, as he joined the other man.

"Tell you later," Danny said, with a quiet chuckle. "I believe this is yours," he added, holding his rose out to Steve.

"Ditto," Steve replied, and they swapped roses, Danny twirling his idly between his fingers. Steve rubbed one of the silky petals with his thumb. "So," he said, quietly, drawing the word out. "A red rose, huh?"

"Yeah," Danny said, and he bumped Steve's shoulder with his own. "A red rose."

Steve took a deep breath. "I think I'm in love with you," he admitted, softly.

"Oh, good," Danny answered, "because if you aren't, that would make things really awkward when I kiss you, tonight." Steve blinked at him in surprise, and Danny rolled his eyes. "You doofus," he said, an affectionate tone in his voice. "I love you, too."


End file.
